Overdue Doctor Who Review: The Eleventh Hour

[@tylerbailey9329]

Matt Smith is like a walking human car fire that could explode at any moment, but the car is full of balloons and fireworks and M&Ms, so it's spectacular.

[@nathamiell]

This is the most accurate description of Matt Smith I've ever heard.

[@marnieesjolander1831]

What a poetic description of Matt Smith’s Doctor! Brilliant!!

[@martinwithani]

You win the Best Simile Award 🏆

[@Ben-vf5gk]

"You know how grown ups say Everything's going to be fine and you think they're lying to make you feel better." "Yeah" "Everything is going to be fine."

[@fardareismai4495]

Great line!

[@landlighterfirestar5550]

Third only to “fish fingers and custard” And of course: “Hello! I’m the Doctor.”

[@marvelsomething1952]

I don't mind the "I'm the doctor, basically run." Moment because he'd already done his smart thing. It wasn't a substitute for problem solving, it was a fun add on

[@ICEcoleman2k]

The thing I was first strucked by Matt Smith is how he looks so young and so old at the same time. It's something that was a genius move in hiring him for the roll.

[@ICEcoleman2k]

Sweet! I got a 💙 from you 😀

[@tomkenning5482]

Little Amelia Pond is now 19 years old and the absolute spitting image of Karen Gillan

[@fabrisseterbrugghe8567]

The scene where all the Doctors' pictures are shown with Eleven walking through them gets me every time.

[@Bagofnowt]

And I only recently (10 years later, nice one me), the doctor walks though the 10th to signify he's the doctor now

[@Comic3247]

Fish fingers and custard, the most famous of British cuisine

[@Thunderwing88]

the comik beek conosaur Even more than fish ‘n chips?

[@chanceneck8072]

They translated custard to "vanilla sauce" in German. I tried it twice and I liked it, but is that a sort of accurate translation? What actually is custard? I know mustard....

[@Comic3247]

ChanCeNecK custard is basically a egg based cream that goes great with any deserve item, warm custard is well delicious

[@CubeGuy]

@@chanceneck8072 more or less, vanilla pudding.

[@Comic3247]

Alyx Roberts yeah

[@grafikpapst]

Regarding Jeff: Maybe at some point you could make like a small compalation video so to speak about all the minor things left unresolved? Like, the really minor things and just musing about it a bit. I think that could be fun.

[@TARDIStraveller96]

That moment where 11 declares he's the Doctor still gets me. God i love him. By far my favourite Doctor. Also 'I Am the Doctor' is a phenomenal track. To be fair the entire series 5 soundtrack is phenomenal, easily the stand out soundtrack. AND Series 5 (for me at least) is the stand out series of the show. So yeah. A lot of bests here.

[@historymysteries4134]

Jeff went off to become Percival in Merlin then Dickon Tarly in GoT then Number One in Umbrella Academy. So he’s been pretty busy since.

[@beingheardmedia6339]

THAT'S where I saw him! THANK you ☺ I'd been wracking my brain.

[@Wolfdette]

Wooow that was Tom Hopper? Thanks for the heads up!

[@krissssssss5401]

Also he was in 4 seasons of black sails

[@natsmith303]

I got distracted for a moment and came back to hear, "That woman is a terrible doctor!" My immediate first thought was, "Oh no! I thought Nathaniel liked Jodie. What happened?!"

[@craigmacdonald539]

I had seen a handful of epiodes each of Eccleston and Tennant, but this is the episode that really made me fall in love with Doctor Who. A big part of that was the energy that Matt Smith brought to the role and the chemistry he had with Karen Gillan.

[@kevinedie4119]

I know I'm Scottish and I'm supposed to love Tennant or Capaldi the most but no its Matt Smith. The Goofy Proffessor, the kooky weird guy but so intelegent. Also something I didnt notice until they pointed it out in Day Of the Doctor "Can you talk without waving your hand around like a maniac?" But the #1 reason I love Matt...... "I'm The Doctor... basically.... run." Followed by the best Theme song for a Doctor yet

[@Luuuna]

Scottish companion, so I think you're good

[@Tsukiakari-qb3tk]

the drunk giraffe

[@josephwatkins1190]

I love Matt Smith and Capaldi's doctors, I like to think they're the two personalities that make up the doctor with the others being mixes of the two.

[@rogerlynch5279]

Not to understand me wrong, Mr. Capaldi is an excellent and very inspired actor and even in private he is a very intelligent and fine Gentleman but seriously calling him a Scottsman ?. After all his father was immigrating from Italy and his mother is Irish if I got that right.

[@andreamiller3578]

This is definitely my favorite introduction. Smith is my favorite Doctor and Amy and Rory are my favorite companions, despite some of my quibbles with story lines.

[@beingheardmedia6339]

Right there with ya! Solidarity! 😀

[@nocturne8333]

This for me was the start of the golden age. It’s the best introductory episode for a Doctor since Spearhead from Space and also gives us my personal favourite companions in Rory and Amy. The cracks in time are, in my opinion, the best story arc the show has done, and Prisoner Zero is a fantastic villain. Moffat really brought his best here.

[@vladdrakul7851]

And yet to many of us it was the end of the intelligent socially aware and critical show with characters who were believable and who we cared about. I will be fair and say this first episode WAS fantastic and I agree it is one of the best season openings ever. It was so good it gave me hope my fears for the post RTD era was wrong but like the first post Holmes story 'Horror of Fang Rock' it seemed to uphold the intensity of the earlier golden era (mid 60's to mid 70's) but it was the exception (see also 'Vincent') not the rule and what followed was the slow decline of a rebellious show driven by those who cared (see LOTR) verses the 'conformity inducing entertainment' beloved of politicians. Dr Who is dying AGAIN!

[@nocturne8333]

Vlad Drakul, While I do agree that some characters in Moffat’s era aren’t very well handled ,*cough* Danny Pink *cough*, on the whole I found the main companions much stronger than Rose, Martha and Mickey. I can see Amy, Rory and Bill as real people, unlike Rose, who has about two defining traits. I think Moffat definitely moved the show away from the appeal of the general public and more towards fans, but he still gave us plenty of great stories. It all comes down to personal preference in the end I suppose. We can all agree that Chibnall is awful though.

[@vladdrakul7851]

@@nocturne8333 It is of course fine that you see things as you do but I will have to disagree with your opinion on the companions in the RTD era in which I have the opposite opinion as I found all three of the RTD era companions to be superior to most of those before (except Susan, Ian, Barbara, Jamie and Zoe, or Sarah Jane Smith) and those afterwards. All adults and with a deep and wonderful emotional arc for the Dr, love (should not be repeated for a long time if ever but great once and hinted at before even with Tom Baker and Romana and the 8th Dr), double loss (Ecclestone then Rose), a frustrated friendship and then pure companionship with Donna who argues back and teaches the Doctor things. Much more grown up than the usual sad romantic relationship (Amy, Rory). My problems are the SCRIPTS as Ecclestone put it. RTD is a much superior director (of actors), Moffatt has ideas but no character/development arc while all the characters grow in RTD's Dr Who (inc Rose, who changes a lot; rightly) and there are consequences (death) to actions and mistakes ('Waters of Mars') as it should be. I also hate Disney Star Wars for the same reason. Dumbing down and not being consequential!

[@lucasdolding6924]

Moffat has no character development? RTD is more grown up than a "usual sad romantic relationship"? RTD a director? Susan a better companion than Donna? No consequences to actions in Moffat's era? I don't think we're watching the same show.

[@kevin10001]

Vlad Drakul moffat actually made his companions be something more then the plot device that made the season go a round in a circle with moffat he made Amy and Roy his in laws and river his wife Russell went after the mainstream appeal and moffat went after true fans of the show with the viewership declined u can see how many watched just cause it was popular not cause they were fans of the show and now people aren't liking that they show is better run by a fan of the show cause they don't understand the direction he chose to take it in cause of only watching the modern run and none the classic run

[@robfisher1712]

How fitting that this review comes out on National Bow Tie Day

[@nadiarey4196]

...that's a thing?! O_o

[@SimonCleric]

@@nadiarey4196 everything is a thing... literally... everything....

[@flatearthsteven4576]

@@SimonCleric even chicken nuggets and ketchup day with whiskey in a cup which is being eatin by a nun dont belive me google it

[@fantasticbeck3938]

This has always been one of my favourite episodes of Doctor Who EVER. When I was in middle school this was one of the episodes I would watch over and over again. That moment at the end where Amy gets to walk into the TARDIS for the first time still gives me chills to this day.

[@louisgonzalez5915]

"Amy sorta runs this town" never really thought of it like that, but now that you said it, yeah that's basically the vibe it gives off

[@BEETEAPG]

Loved this episode, great intro for matt smith. Set the bar impossibly high for the rest of the season.

[@nadiarey4196]

And yet, I loved all the season. The weakest episode probable being the daleks one.

[@trg8858]

Nadia Rey I don’t get all the beef with that Salem episode, probably the best of Matt smiths run

[@ralfphelps8365]

This is my favourite Matt Smith episode.

[@michaelkpate]

9th - solid intro but had a lot to cover 10th - good but the Doctor was asleep for half the episode 11th - Riding the huge momentum going in but definitely clever writing. 12th - Another long sleep plus the weird interplay between him and Clara 13th - I actually thought it was the highpoint of a meh season

[@landlighterfirestar5550]

Yeah Jodie had a pretty strong start Her being so frantic riding the regeneration energy high is really similar to this Doctor’s start

[@kylemccrory2031]

Jodies first two are still some of her best.

[@michaelkpate]

@@kylemccrory2031 It was very JJ Abrams Mystery Box - you felt like you were going somewhere but two years later we still have no idea where.

[@kylemccrory2031]

@@michaelkpate not really. The first episode was more about setting up the characters and the doctor than a series narrative. The ghost monument (episode two) stemmed the timeless child arc

[@michaelkpate]

@@kylemccrory2031 There was no Timeless Child Arc - there was an off-handed reference that everyone speculated on endlessly like who Rey's parents were for 2 years - only to find out in both cases that her parents were nobodies.

[@JackChristmas]

Iconic line: "I'm The Doctor - I'm worse than everybody's aunt!" And haha, when I first saw this episode, I was so sure that Jeff would be a major recurring character, and that there would be some sort of Amy/Jeff/Rory love triangle going on. I am not good at predicting Doctor Who. In retrospect, it's kind of weird that they'd set up Jeff and then never bring him back, but they also felt the need to retcon in Mels for Let's Kill Hitler. With a bit of tweaking, they could have just used Jeff for that! (Or they could have considered giving Amy an on-screen female friend. It's not exactly unusual.) Don't worry, though. Give it 2-3 years, and Jeff will have his own Big Finish series.

[@justkerowen3191]

This episode is brilliant! Definitely the best first episode for a Doctor in NuWho. I love the scene where he confronts the Atraxi so much - the hint of menace behind "Basically...run" says to me there's a lot more going on with him than first appearances would indicate, and I'm totally here for it. I'm with you on the faerie tale aspect. Amy and The Crack in The Universe is one long Tale, so best to establish it early. Also, as you know, I share your affection for that style of narrative, so it works for me. Not the most auspicious intro for Rory, but I'm looking forward to revisiting his growth arc, which I'll be commenting on as it progresses.

[@ghlmk5931]

This is where I was convinced that this (then)26-year old could pull off playing an ancient alien. Except for the food part that went on a bit long, this was the best introduction for any Doctor.

[@rogerjones3350]

More than any other in NuWho, Matt Smith was instantly "The Doctor" for me, thanks to this episode. Much as I love Tennant and Capaldi, (and I'm continually torn between which of Capaldi and Smith I like best), Smith is the only actor to be able to really capture the young but really really old persona of the Doctor.

[@ThePonderer]

Best opener? Best opener.

[@CareyHAuthor]

I loved the 11th Hour. Matt Smith is my favorite doctor to this day. There are very few episodes that I don't like. Amy and Rory are wonderful. I am so excited to hear you talk about this. I actually was fortunate enough to meet both Matt Smith and Karen Gillan at Comic-Con when they came to my city and I fangirled and squeed and wanted to cry because I was so excited. Matt is a delight and Karen is even more gorgeous in person

[@westlifejjfan]

I watched this again relatively recently. I’d forgotten how early ‘Silence will fall’ was hinted at. I love Matt’s interactions with little Amelia 😊

[@NitroIndigo]

This is hugely nostalgic for me because it was the only Doctor Who episode I watched in full as a kid - I usually saw bits and pieces of whatever my brother was watching. I also remember watching a video on Newsround about how they composed "I Am the Doctor" around the time this episode aired.

[@FixTheWi-Fi]

That repeating thing was common even in Moffat's earlier stories, such as The Girl In The Fireplace, who's villains "did not have the parts."

[@liamdickson90]

Are you my mummy? x1000

[@nadiarey4196]

@@liamdickson90 Admitedly, "Are you my mummy" *did* work...

[@liamdickson90]

@@nadiarey4196 empty child is my favourite storyline, only playin.

[@adampoll4977]

Over time I really have come to appreciate Matt Smith as my fave new Doctor - ancient knowledge coupled with child-like enthusiasm. Tennant's schtick and foibles get a bit grating after a while, whereas Smith just seems to grow into the role effortlessly and is a joy to watch even in less good episodes.

[@kevin10001]

Adam Poll to me it was like Matt was made for the role he could handle both the jokey side of the show and the more serous side of the show better then David David did better with the serous side then the more humorous side of the show with peter we did get a good chance to see what peter could do if he was allowed to be himself for his run

[@nadiarey4196]

@@kevin10001 Hello, my fellow Matt Smith's lovers. Yes, to all you said.

[@mayotango1317]

@@kevin10001 Capaldi was himself in Series 9 and 10.

[@mrdoctorgilmore]

If you look closely at the Doctor in the final scene operating the tardis, his jacket changes in certain shots.

[@connormcrae2907]

The continuity errors throughout the episode are through the roof 😂😂 watch the ties on the rooftop scene. In fact, the whole rooftop scene 😂

[@mrdoctorgilmore]

Yeah, one minute you can see a Matt Smith clearly putting the bow tie on, only to cut to a shot behind him and it's gone.

[@Gemma-Majoran]

whats beautiful is that i only noticed these things on my third rewatch... which stands to point out how amazing the episode is overall

[@pixelcrafttutorials7181]

Not as bad as the game of thrones season final with a water bottle in shot

[@pixelcrafttutorials7181]

Now that, that is rush

[@deebeedaydreamer]

Re:Repeating lines. I think Steven seems to forget there will be a music score that's there to add tension or whatever else is needed to the scene. As a result it just becomes overwhelming noise. Not that other writers don't do this, it just seems to happen a lot with Moffat.

[@jonathanskinner7647]

As a kid when I first watched this it TERRIFIED me. The episode is great and amazing but at the age of 6-7 the monster just seems to become really scary I don't know weather it's the imagination or something else but man I was scared of prisoner 0. Anywho, great episode and great review

[@clod2529]

same here, love it!

[@BaloonBoy7]

Love this episode I think that the corner of your eye thing didn't work that well with prisoner 0, but the one with the door I think was spot on. It was there, visible, but you don't notice it until you really try.

[@survivordave]

Such a great episode. And "I Am The Doctor" is one of my favorite scores in TV/film. It perfectly captures the Eleventh Doctor: high energy, quirky, heroic. Murray Gold nailed it. I loved it so much I bought it on iTunes. So great!

[@Alex-ux8cl]

I looked it up, and apparently, the drawing Amy shows in The Wedding of River Song when The Doctor asks if she remembers her husband is a picture of Jeff

[@lucypreece7581]

one of the strongest openers of modern era who and my days that moment on the roof top when Smith steps forward in the full bowtie and tweed and says "Hello, I'm The Doctor (Cut to wide shot of full outfit) Basically, Run" Still gives me chills

[@travismaraj5512]

I’m glad someone else mentioned how bad Rory’s doctor boss was. A dozen coma patients start saying “Doctor” in unison and she still refused to look at what Rory tried to show her.

[@njnjco]

11 is my favorite Doctor, Amy is my favorite companion, and Rory is my favorite Rory.

[@DamnQuilty]

Love the Eleventh Hour. One of my favorite episodes and the best NW introduction.

[@evaserration6223]

I was sold on Amy when the Doctor gives her the apple after all these years and the look her eyes when she says 'I don't believe you' just betrays years of emotional baggage where she WANTS to believe him but after years of abandonment issues can't bring herself to believe.

[@quinnsinclair7028]

I always forget how good Moffat’s run started. Cause he got really self indulgent in later seasons and that really colours how I remember Smith.

[@Beccabootiful112]

This episode will forever be my favourite Doctor Who episode, as well as having a special place for me for being one of the first - if not the first - episodes I ever saw.

[@ink_blot25]

Strongest start to any of the Modern Who Doctors. Period.

[@lwaves]

In the running to be the strongest start to any Who.

[@lwaves]

@@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770 You don't seem to understand what the term 'start' means. None of the ones you mentioned where at the start of a new Doctor or even a season.

[@nadiarey4196]

@@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770 I think Heaven Sent is the most qualified runner-up for best Who episode... but actually, all the others mentioned to me weren't so good. I like Midnight. But the other three (Human Nature, The Satan Pit, Doomsday) are completely forgetable. In fact, Idon't even remeber what they were about...

[@lwaves]

@@elijahfordsidioticvarietys8770 There's no maybe about it. You didn't understand it. Then you say others have Alzheimer's for daring to have a different opinion to you? You're blithering like a little toddler in these comments, with all your pointless posts. Grow up if you wish to take part in conversations with those clearly more mature than you are.

[@odile8701]

Elijah Ford I’m a major Whovian. I love the family of blood, but I don’t at all like the episodes. I hate John Smith with a passion, and I despise Joan Crawford. I couldn’t freaking wait for this shit to be over, and for the Doctor to come the hell back already and be interesting again. The bad guys were great, the scarecrows were cool as hell, and the ending was awesome with Ten going dark, but otherwise I actually kinda hate it. So, yeah. Now you’ve met another who considers Ten and a lot of his episodes to be way overrated. Midnight’s awesome though. And as much as I don’t at all care for Rose, you have to feel for the ending of Doomsday.

[@ianmason6867]

"Am I 'people'? Do I even LOOK like people?" Love it, and yes... I LOVE "I am The Doctor" theme and miss it a lot.

[@SonofSethoitae]

I love this episode because it feels like an expansion of the themes and storytelling of the RTD era without feeling wildly out of hand as some of the later episodes did. Series 5 in general was actually pretty good for that.

[@DJ_LP_ViBE]

I always took the repetition from the Atraxi to harken back to the Vogon's message before destroying the Earth from HITCHHIKERS GUIDE to the GALAXY.

[@danielsleeper2307]

I love this episode and this Doctor. Also, with the corner of your eye thing- I don't think it should have been in every scene, but I don't think it shouldn't be there until Amy's bit. It should've been in 1 scene. Maybe two. A quick appearance or two. "Did you remember seeing that first watch?" "Wiat, was that the door or am I projecting?" THAT, would have been cool.

[@UkeRebuke]

Jeff ended up with a ragtag of unconventional weirdos with super powers. He also got swol and hairy af

[@LigerFan]

Love the episode! Love your review! In addition to being just a great episode and a great first episode for a Doctor (probably my favorite "This Doctor's First Episode") "The Eleventh Hour" is incredibly rewatchable!

[@lcflngn]

Lol, hi Vera, I’m loving going back through your 4th & now 5th series recaps while prepping for the 2023 specials & new show. Overshot a little here, but this I think is my favorite ep of Who ever. Great review, going to watch it again for the umpteenth time, always a comfy rewatch for me. Looking forward to the 60th! (PS I’m now 60, amazingly, which is how I know the 60th is upon us, though folks in charge don’t seem to want to give anything away date-wise. Still, we know it’s coming. Hope the ongoing SAG strike doesn’t slow you down too much. You’re my fave DW reviewer & whenever you can make it, can’t wait to hear your thoughts. You’re indispensable for a quality Doctor Who review.

[@k.stewart007]

So glad you decided, to carry on with your overdue, reviews. Another couple offun facts about catlin blackwood, who plays Amelia, is she 1. She had never acted before this. 2 shes Irish and not Scottish. Taking those two facts into consideration, she absolutely smashed it. I love that they managed, to cram so much into this one episode, with it ever feeling rushed, or over stuffed. Brilliant episode.

[@nymphrodellsalavin]

I cant wait to see how 13 deals with the Doctor's reputation. We got a glimpse in the Pting epsode when it was basicly said that there was an entire book in the space encyclopaedia on them, but I'd like to see an full blown thing like the others have had.

[@jemimathornton9497]

Yay! So happy we’re on the Matt smith era now as it is my favourite. Can’t wait for the beast below review next, it is one of my favourite episodes. I hope when you watch it again you can find some good things in it that perhaps you didn’t see the previous times. Great video! Looking forward to the upcoming reviews!

[@kemmdog4444]

My favorite Matt Smith line here is “Do I have one of those faces nobody listens to,again.”

[@roxxychik06]

God I love this episode. Its so fast and random and fun. I like the way he interacts with everyone especially Amy. I like that he calls the atracsy back.

[@Schming]

This episode first aired on the eve of my 24th birthday. I was preparing for a party that evening, but halted proceedings to watch with my oldest friend and fellow who-nerd and a couple others. I literally said the same thing you did as he stepped out to face the atraxi. As an oldtime fan who had loved the slight hints at the classic series in previous years, I punched the air and said "yes you are" - i was instantly sold.

[@jackaylward-williams9064]

I was looking at the cover on the latest issue of Doctor Who Magazine yesterday, and I couldn’t help noticing that the newspaper that The Doctor is reading contains not 1 but 2 different articles which reference this episode. I wonder if the Christmas special is going to follow on from it in some way.

[@biscuitsandbananas3433]

The cracks in time are a good example of why I think Moffat is a very good writer for individual episodes, but a terrible show-runner. Here, the cracks in time served a clear function of how Prisoner Zero escaped, acting like a portal, yet in future episode, this doesn't remains consistent in the rest of series 5, where the cracks in time are shown to work very differently, and that all leads up to one of the worst finale of the modern era.

[@vladdrakul7851]

Well said and right on!

[@nadiarey4196]

I can't disagree more. Personally, I love the Big Bang two parter. Call me crazy, it's my favorite end of season of modern who, in a tie with the Time of the Doctor. (With the Doctor Falls as close second, and Journey's End as third.) There's enough foreshadowing about the events in Big Bang in the fifth season to make everything make sense. And the crack in the wall thing on Eleventh Hour, it says it was how Prisoner Zero escaped, but nothing says HOW a crack in time and space is made, so I think its use for the rest of the season is fair play. So, yeah, I disagree completely. Honestly, I never got the hate for Big Bang. It's like people were annoyed they couldn't keep up because there was so much information thrown at them they hadn't thought twice about...

[@evaserration6223]

Also this episode showed how alien Olivia Colman can be and how she could be the perfect Doctor.

[@lonewolf6884]

I will say I must be in the minority. I love series 5 and its subplot with the cracks in space/time and its conclusion

[@SomeRandomGuy908]

Me too! I also love series 6 and 9's arcs as well so minority = huge for me. Also don't like Bad Wolf

[@thetalisman7722]

It's the best story arc for me

[@helloitsme7553]

Me too

[@helloitsme7553]

@@SomeRandomGuy908 series 9's arc didn't really pay off tho. We never got to know who's the hybrid. So what's the whole point

[@lucasdolding6924]

The Hybrid is explicitly shown to be the Doctor and Clara. The arc wasn't centred around who the Hybrid is but rather 12 and Clara's relationship, and it was definitely payed off well.

[@shibolinemress8913]

Great review of a great season opener! 11's theme reminds me of the TOS flourish that played whenever the plot turned and the day was about to be saved. Like in "Journey to Babel" when power comes back on in Sickbay so Bones can save Sarek and Spock. Anyway, I like it 😊.

[@swanskogjsson151]

I totally agree about series 5 episode 1. It is the best introduction of a new doctor ever! As for the story ark, I think that this one is better than S1,3,6 and 7, but not as good as S4 and 8.

[@superraegun2649]

Spinoff series, Geoff and Amy’s elderly neighbour going on their own adventures

[@michaelawiseman7320]

The only time I found repetition to be creepy - highly creepy - was Midnight. Everything else is vaguely unsettling, but not overly terrible.

[@quinnsinclair7028]

I like the fairy tale vibe in Doctor Who, I just prefer it cloaked in a veneer of sci-fi. Sometimes that veneer fades away and it is not a good look. *cough* Master’s potion of resurrection *cough*

[@maxeyre2024]

One of my favourite episodes ever

[@wreckitremy]

It's finally time!!! Ahhhh it was so hard to be quiet at work when I got this notification. All of my favorite episodes are with smith. Well except for capaldi's intro. And the robin hood episode I guess too. They are just so fun, even tho they do sometimes deal with some heavy stuff.

[@theeorigin4651]

This is a great episode. Its got a REALLY shaky start with the fish fingers and custard thing (its FAR too juvenile for me to enjoy) but once it moves past that, the doctors Regeneration Quirkiness makes sense. I agree with dislking the story arc. Timeline collapse just shatters my disbelief and its a clear escalation of Journeys End. Matt Smith is great in the role. I rewatched New Who a couple of years ago and I liked him far more than when it aired. Final nitpick- Despite I Am The Doctor being a great track, it suffers the repetition problem. I believe it plays 4 times in just this episode (and it wont be the last)

[@chrisandersen5635]

Basically, a favorite episode of mine. Great comments.

[@JekyViews]

YES. And I’m just like you, I also tell Eleven “YES YOU ARE” at that roof top scene. Can’t help myself! One of the episodes I revisit the most, because it makes me genuinely happy. Many of the other episodes I love either makes me cry my eyes out on account of me being an over emotional wreck, or pisses me off (why hello Midnight, you’re still packed with a-holes and morons)!

[@koslaulskusthegreat9050]

"Basically...run." That line always gives me chills...

[@danielsleeper2307]

I think showing the door works because the first time you watch it, you do not notice it, so when it clicks that the thing you noticed offhand, not putting effort and context into it- you have that sinking feeling of "oh god I saw that and I didn't think it was important, but oh god it was there the whole time"

[@jvblhc]

I think this is the best episode to show somebody who has never seen the show. I also agree with you with Moffat's catch phrases and repetitious dialog. Davies put "Bad Wolf" all over the place in the Eccleston seasons, but he didn't really give a crap if you noticed it or not. Moffat hits you over the head again and again with "Silence Will Fall!", "The Pandorica Will Open!", "The Question" or whatever it was... it was annoying. But I love most of the Moffat Era anyway with reservations. Anywho, this may be the best episode of the Matt Smith seasons.

[@DPS31762]

I pretty much agree with everything you said, but it would have been fun to see young Amelia travel with the Doctor. Overall, though, I consider this the best first outing for any Doctor except maybe An Unearthly Child, which is also great IMO, and Power of the Daleks, which I haven't seen, even in a reconstruction. And the "i'm the Doctor. Basically, run" scene might be the best single scene in NuWho, maybe even in all of Who.

[@AMoniqueOcampo]

So I have a weird story. I got into Doctor Who through my friends in college and I saw "The Doctor Dances" first, but this feels like my first proper introduction to The Doctor. I was so confused, but fascinated. This is my favorite Doctor. What else can I say? Geronimo!!!!!

[@the_plot_twist_24]

One of the best episodes of Doctor Who

[@FlipzMCL]

It seems incredibly appropriate to me that you had a moment of timeline confusion (about your video schedule) in a video about this Doctor specifically. xD

[@jonathan.palfrey]

This is one of my favourite stories, but it has a blemish that makes me wince every time. When the Doctor gives the Atraxi that speech and tells them to run, he's bluffing with nothing in his hand. I'm sure they could very easily incinerate him to a cinder, and there must be many creatures who'd do so automatically when confronted with such arrogance. He's basically a human with two hearts and extra longevity, he has no physical defences, no force field. If the Atraxi did their research on him, they could see that his past victories were achieved by guile, not by superpowers. "Hey, this loudmouth is a mosquito, let's swat it and move on." The Doctor is supposed to be clever, and staking your life on an empty bluff doesn't strike me as clever. It shouldn't have struck Amy and Rory as clever, either, unless they assumed that he really did have a force field.

[@marnieesjolander1831]

Hmmm, never thought of that! Fascinating observation!

[@mayotango1317]

Is part of his arc, the universe still remember the Time War and the Doctor is the monster.

[@jonathan.palfrey]

@@mayotango1317: He's done a lot of things and miraculously survived them all (regeneration helps). But he has no personal invulnerability, and I don't think he could regenerate after being thoroughly incinerated.

[@stevenburton7725]

Jeff became number 1 in the Umbrella Academy

[@CouncilofGeeks]

Oh my god, THAT’S why I recognized him!!!

[@rowanc88]

7:56 - He became Santa. See 'A Christmas Carol'.

[@maldaror7097]

Moffat hit a high note with ,"are you my mommy", and maybe thought repetion could work again, he sort of did the same with the weeping angels, it works, keep doing it.

[@quinnsinclair7028]

I’d love it if in like three seasons Jeff reappears and he’s in charge of whoever took UNIT’s job.

[@Alex-ux8cl]

The 11th Hour was my first episode, and that’s likely why 11 is undeniably my favourite doctor

[@DarthBear356]

I love matt smith as the doctor and I I this episode but I have to admit, when I saw prisoner zero avoiding Amy's looks over her shoulder, my first thought was "why is this alien re enacting a tom and jerry routine?" Look it up and compare the shots, they match up ridiculously well.

[@tiredtropes8433]

So right, Matt Smith's introduction is the best of new who! You nailed it.

[@alexdacey2958]

Prisoner zero is my favourite one time villain. He had a weight to him which I adore. He also had a sarcasm to him which was great. I'd love him to return one day

[@samuelbarber4154]

I like how they kept repeating the "Prisoner Zero will vacate the human residence or the human residence will be incinerated!" In the background because it keeps the threat of the Atraxi in your mind and also creates a time limit, constantly reminding you that they are going to destroy the planet.

[@TeaSquiffy2]

I wasn't a big fan of Moffat's run as a whole. But I cannot deny that this episode was great.

[@mayotango1317]

Ah, you like Chibnall?

[@TeaSquiffy2]

@@mayotango1317 So far, no, but I'll reserve some judgement for after the next series.

[@kirstyshadowdancer5095]

Point on perception filter is said there and elsewhere that the thing is effecting your mind not an illusion. But yes the filter should have effected usc as well.

[@politesse3914]

Finally starting in on my favorite season of the new show. :)

[@benjp6949]

I can remember all the hate smith got when he was first announced. Then he only went and nailed it in one episode!

[@jimmysjamin1]

Matt Smith is The Doctor that brought me back to D.W. I grew up With The Ultimate Doctor Tom Baker when he left I was a disgruntled fan ! Though I did like Christopher E. & David T. Matt brought the whole Kaboom back ! I watched The 11th Hour and was back baby so C'mon Then and of course I was devastated when his run was done 😢 It was so fitting that Matt & Tom got together in the 50th even briefly pure magic so 11 is my Doctor along with Tom always will be.

[@aarononeil9832]

Wait, is Jeff who I think he is? Game of Thrones and Umbrella Academy? Always weird to go back and notice actors in stuff you love that wouldn't become known until later.

[@bluedepths9483]

Aaron O'neil, I recently rewatched the Daleks in Manhattan and the second part Evolution of the Daleks, and there is Andrew Garfield..

[@aarononeil9832]

@@bluedepths9483 I'm aware, freaked out when I first noticed that

[@connormcrae2907]

I always state that Eleventh Hour is the most perfect episode of Doctor Who ever, APART FROM the constant continuity errors. Seriously, there are FAR too many it’s actually hilarious. Watch the food scene and the rooftop scene, pick out the yoghurt all over Matt’s face then disappearing, or the ties that randomly materialise in Rory’s hands despite the fact that 11 is still holding them. Still love it though 😍

[@mayotango1317]

What continuity errors?

[@connormcrae2907]

@@mayotango1317 in the rooftop scene, one of the ties magically appear in Rory's hands before the doctor even throws it. A tie is also thrown twice. When the spaceship flies away you can see the doctor put his hand in his pocket in the wide shot, then cuts to Amy laughing, then goes to the Doctor who puts his hand into his pocket AGAIN. In the start of the food scene his hair is completely different in every shot, and yoghurt goes from on his face to not on his face to on his face again. There's more throughout, but those two scenes have the most :)

[@Lahey3]

I absolutly hate the big eyes aliens. This design for me is 1000 times worse than the bug from Turn Left or the fly aliens from Planet of the Dead.

[@GeriatricFan1963]

I think Hbomberguy really got to the heart of what was wrong with the Moffatt era: "Moffat's version of the show positions the Doctor as the central puzzle piece to complete the universe, with an army of secret societies out to personally destroy the Doctor because he's the most important person of all time, and special, and wow! The first episode written by Moffat with himself as showrunner ends with the Doctor winning by telling the villains how cool and important and special he is, and this speech scares them off. It's all about the Doctor, instead of the stories the Doctor interacts with...And a story that consists entirely of a man running around implying that he used to do cool shit, is a bad story."

[@lucasdolding6924]

That is the complete opposite of what Moffat actually does, though. He gives 11 these grand speeches about how awesome he is and all the amazing things he's done and all the bad guys he's defeated, but then it all goes fuck-up for him in the end. Look at The Pandorica Opens speech, reminding them all that he's defeated them numerous times and they never best him, but then at the end of the episode they do defeat him and the Universe ends. The Doctor loses here and his reputation got the better of him. The same thing happens in A Good Man Goes to War more or less, where again he loses despite his reputation. It works here in The Eleventh Hour because it's setting up how the Doctor will try this tactic again in the finale, but that time it won't work. Edit: There are obviously exceptions to its usage, such as in the Library two-parter and Extremis for example, though they aren't a detriment to the story since it isn't totally significant to the plot and isn't the concentration of the episode. Sure, it shouldn't be overused as a resolution and can be lazy, but when there are more important and interesting things happening I don't personally think it really matters too much.

[@mayotango1317]

That is what RTD did. Torchwood is a cult who want to kill him.

[@Ben-vf5gk]

I like HBomberguy and to an extent I agree with him but some of his criticism of Moffatt baffles me. In the Eleventh Hour the Doctor has already won using his smarts and resources, he called them back just to give them a warning so that example doesn't work. He said that 11 and 12 weren't as fleshed out characters as 9 and 10 which left me going "have you seen 12's era he's the most fleshed out Doctor." And then there's that bit in his 2017 video he said he wanted to see the Doctor getting a job at the University? Yeah that would have been a really great season of television.

[@NitroIndigo]

I demand a Big Finish spinoff about Jeff. =P

[@brianahicks4805]

I ADORE The Eleventh Hour. When I rewatch I usually start here just because i feel like it’s such a bright, inviting moment to begin.